"Anwar is definitely qualified to be a future leader, " says Bee Azman, an observer from Selangor.

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At the sub-national level, the Malaysian state of Selangor has also enacted a law aiming to guarantee the right to information.

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He wrote and directed a couple of TV dramas, including the mini-series Kuala Selangor XI, set during the British colonial era.

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This is the Golden Palm Tree Resort and Spa, a luxurious Maldivian-style, over-water villa complex, just off the coast of Selangor in Malaysia.

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Selangor Chief Minister Muhammad Taib, also on Anwar's team last time but now lukewarm toward the DPM, was re-elected despite some questionable dealings in his past.

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Surrounding the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Selangor's strategic location boosts its appeal as the preferred holiday destination for the rising middle class Malaysians and foreign tourists.

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He resigned as chief minister of Selangor state in 1997, after being arrested at Brisbane airport in Australia for failing to declare a suitcase of money he had with him.

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Most striking is Selangor state, which rings Kuala Lumpur.

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Kampung Kuantan, a sleepy hollow in Kuala Selangor, 75 km north of the capital, is famed for its firefly "show": thousands of the winged beetles appear each night along the Selangor River, flashing their glowing tails.

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Already in the planning stages: a 37-km tunnel to channel water from the Benus river in water-rich Pahang state to drought-stricken Selangor state, and a pipe to link the Gombak river in KL to the Wangsa Maju water treatment plant.

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